Why are there dozens of emergency vehicles with lights flashing right now on the Cambridge side of the Longfellow Bridge (in MA)? Training? Incident? Other? [more inside]
posted by vincele on Dec 15, 2009 - 7 answers

How do we get rid of an unregistered handgun we inherited? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 14, 2009 - 41 answers

I ran a red light and got caught by a traffic camera. I received a citation in the mail a few days later. Not my citation, though, someone else's. [more inside]
posted by notmydesk on Dec 11, 2009 - 38 answers

NoveltyUseOnlyFilter: Chemists- do you think it would be possible to develop a chemical compound (aerosol? liquid?) which could counter tear gas by causing it to break down/change phase? [more inside]
posted by Truthiness on Dec 10, 2009 - 6 answers

I got my first ticket ahh! What will happen? [more inside]
posted by lwclec072 on Nov 28, 2009 - 12 answers

I received a traffic ticket for driving without headlights on in Los Angeles, but now the court has no record of my citation. What do I do now? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 5, 2009 - 9 answers

How do criminals convince other criminals they aren't (undercover) police?
posted by stinkycheese on Nov 4, 2009 - 35 answers

I called the police after watching my neighbor chase a family member across the street, yelling and screaming. I requested that I remain anonymous, but I'm worried that I won't be, is there a law about this? (state of Oregon). [more inside]
posted by thankyouforyourconsideration on Nov 3, 2009 - 27 answers

I got a traffic citation last night, and I think the cop was a dick. I want to report him, but I want to do it the right way. What do you think? [more inside]
posted by hollyanderbody on Oct 28, 2009 - 83 answers

After being apprehended but before being charged by the police, how do you maximize your chances of being let off with a warning? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 24, 2009 - 19 answers

What happens if an arresting officer records your conversation with the public defender? [more inside]
posted by doomtop on Oct 8, 2009 - 14 answers

What is the term for how police officers talk to the press in official situations? [more inside]
posted by war wrath of wraith on Oct 6, 2009 - 35 answers

I'm considering getting a police scanner, but I'm having a difficult time making sense of all of what I read. Can anyone break it down for me? [more inside]
posted by john m on Sep 27, 2009 - 14 answers

When you need to call the police, but it isn't an emergency, what phone number do you call? 911? (U.S.) [more inside]
posted by TSGlenn on Aug 23, 2009 - 56 answers

As a female 22 year old citizen, was it out of line for the male highway patrol officer to ask me to sit in the front seat of his vehicle with him while he filled out an official warning? [more inside]
posted by selavy on Aug 12, 2009 - 60 answers

Some more 30s New York questions: Would a police detectve in 1930s New York be a uniformed or a nonuniformed role? In the 30s would there be such a thing as plainsclothes police outside of the feds? Are there any years in the 30s in which the New York summer was particularly hot? And, just to be totally random, what popular newspapers in New York in the 30s would have been giving favourable coverage to Hitler, and when would he have started being front page news?
posted by Artw on Aug 8, 2009 - 10 answers

How is it that people can post videos of illegal acts onto YouTube and they can't be found? I remember watching a video where someone has a camera mounted on the front of their motorcycle and they thread through traffic at insane speeds. I always thought that there would be some electronic trail the cops could follow. [more inside]
posted by Sully on Aug 5, 2009 - 15 answers

What happens when police find dead people? [more inside]
posted by bensherman on Aug 3, 2009 - 15 answers

Some legal questions about the arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. [more inside]
posted by zardoz on Jul 27, 2009 - 16 answers

CanuckFilter: Members of the Ontario Provincial Police, as well as a variety of other Canadian police forces, employ the rank of 'Constable' rather than 'Officer'. Is it inappropriate to refer to a Canadian policeman or -woman as "Officer?" If, say, you're pulled over for speeding, does it matter if you address the police representative as "officer"? (I ask this as a Canuck who has never referred to the police as anything other than "officers" or "cops". It never occurred to me until today to use any other designation. And no, I'm not in trouble with the law. I'm just curious.)
posted by spoobnooble on Jul 19, 2009 - 15 answers

I'm writing a crime story and need to know the following detail about phone records: Let's say I live in Dallas, but while I'm visiting New York I call Joe using my mobile phone. Because there has been a crime committed, the police have subpoenaed Joe's phone records. MY QUESTION: When they see the record of the call, will the police know that the phone call originated from New York instead of Dallas?
posted by bagadonuts on Jul 15, 2009 - 12 answers

Indiana legal filter: My kid was charged with misdemeanor possession Tuesday night. But, that's not the crux of the question... [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 9, 2009 - 26 answers

Are there any accounts of cops in prohibition/depression era New York being drinkers? Would drink be widely available to the point where no one would think much of it, or would it be especially difficult for a public employee?
posted by Artw on Jul 4, 2009 - 12 answers

Hertz fender bender, do I need to file police report, and am I covered? [more inside]
posted by spacefire on Jul 4, 2009 - 5 answers

I got pulled over by a cop. I wasn't speeding, nor was I driving erratically. P.S - My passenger was standing up with his torso out of the sunroof. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 27, 2009 - 16 answers

How much conflict is there between local police and FBI? [more inside]
posted by Bugbread on Jun 26, 2009 - 11 answers

Do the police flag your name in their data as a current "material witness"? In the last Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode I watched, about 45 minutes in, the son of a key witness and former suspect in the main case was kidnapped. [more inside]
posted by soelo on Jun 1, 2009 - 7 answers

Are the lowered speed limits enforced after a construction job is finished? Read on for a better explanation. [more inside]
posted by ascetic on May 20, 2009 - 16 answers

Quick question. Can you dial 911 in Russia? If not, what is the emergency number ? Is it a police/fire/or ambulance response ? Or do you just call an individual police number. Any info, please let me know.
posted by clawtros on May 8, 2009 - 4 answers

How can my friend use a Mobile Trunking Scanner to avoid a speeding ticket while traveling across the US? [more inside]
posted by schindyguy on Apr 23, 2009 - 31 answers

I have no wardrobe, or style. I'm lost, when it comes to this, Can anyone out there help dress me for a family members wedding? [more inside]
posted by edmcbride on Apr 16, 2009 - 16 answers

I was recently issued a minor traffic infringement by a Melbourne police officer. I told him that I believed the charge was unfair and that I intended to contest it in court. He told me that if I did, he'd then present me with an additional, more serious charge. Was this just bluster to dissuade me from contesting the charge, or could he in fact do that? [more inside]
posted by chmmr on Apr 16, 2009 - 12 answers

How can I get the stuff cops recovered from a burglary at my place? (in Silicon Valley, Ca) [more inside]
posted by Pasa la bola chetu on Apr 2, 2009 - 12 answers

I've occasionally seen police (or military personnel) wearing hats in such a way that the chin strap is hooked under the lower lip rather than the chin. Why? [more inside]
posted by le morte de bea arthur on Mar 19, 2009 - 10 answers

My Apartment was (wrongly) raided by the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and explosives....About 12 agents with bulletproofs vests came into my apartment and handcuffed me and my roomate, then promptly left the place when they found out they did wrong. I feel angered, offended and disillusioned by our system. Is there anyway I can put in a complain of any sort to stop this from happening again? This is their website: http://www.atf.gov/ [more inside]
posted by The1andonly on Mar 10, 2009 - 65 answers

What would happen to a suspect who was seriously injured while being arrested? Would they be treated in a regular hospital while under guard? [more inside]
posted by Bobby Bittman on Feb 24, 2009 - 10 answers

SkullCourierFilter- My fiancee's family had a human skull that her father had somehow procured. I donated it to our school and they said they may have to report it to the police. Do I have anything to worry about? [more inside]
posted by Modus Pwnens on Feb 4, 2009 - 12 answers

Bought new car Tuesday. Car got squooshed in a hit and run four days later. I only have liability insurance. Oh, crap. How can I track down the guy who hit me? I have some information about him, but the police are being very unhelpful. Help, Metafilter detectives! [more inside]
posted by jennyjenny on Jan 21, 2009 - 19 answers

What is the proper protocol to use when dealing with police officers? [more inside]
posted by esd on Jan 5, 2009 - 35 answers

My parents are curious why the police had the northbound I-4 + on ramps closed in Orlando (until the turnoff for the airport) for 4 Mears buses on Dec. 31 at 2pm or so? Who was in them?
posted by nothingsconstant on Jan 1, 2009 - 2 answers

Does the right to remain silent include the right to not to reveal your name? [more inside]
posted by roofus on Dec 23, 2008 - 16 answers

What is the (english) name of this diving technique? I know the Japanese name. [more inside]
posted by theyexpectresults on Nov 30, 2008 - 3 answers

Is there any way I can get relatively current Washington, DC police/fire/EMT dispatch information onlineor on my desktop? [more inside]
posted by Inspector.Gadget on Oct 19, 2008 - 3 answers

What should I do about a threatening letter, both personally and legally? [more inside]
posted by malusmoriendumest on Sep 27, 2008 - 16 answers

UK police wants to search me on a public road - do I have a choice? [more inside]
posted by krautland on Sep 25, 2008 - 9 answers

My friend, who hasn't lived in Texas for decades, was dismayed to learn that there was a longstanding warrant for her arrest in Texas for a traffic violation she could not have committed. The warrant's for not paying a fine. (She thinks someone stole her driver's license and identity.) [more inside]
posted by johngoren on Sep 5, 2008 - 15 answers

Shouldn't admitting/publicly announcing that you smoke pot or do other drugs at least be enough for a search warrant in the US? [more inside]
posted by theichibun on Aug 14, 2008 - 21 answers

AutoAccident101: a) Do you always call the police? Surely if you don't the other party could later deny involvement. b) If your car is undriveable, when the tow truck turns up and they ask you, "where would you like it towed to?", where the hell do you get it towed to? [more inside]
posted by The_Partridge_Family on Jul 26, 2008 - 28 answers

I got a speeding ticket, but there was a car next to me that was speeding, while I was not. What is the likelihood that I can argue this in court? [more inside]
posted by kraigory on Jul 21, 2008 - 37 answers

What can I do to help a friend, victim of a vicious assault at the hands of her husband, get some justice from the UK legal system? [more inside]
posted by nihotaniwha on Jul 6, 2008 - 9 answers